Chapter 19
Max
Jaz left him alone again. This time Max wasn’t going to sit around and do anything. He knew the tribe was worried about him. He knew that Ilias had to of tried to contract him, but he heard nothing. The damn Demon Rope cut off everything. He couldn’t even feel his beasts, and that was the worst of it all. They were shackled too.
“Come on think,” he whispered to himself. “There has to be a way out of here.”
If there was, he wasn’t seeing it. And for the second time in his life he was completely out of control of his own destiny. Max didn’t like going to that place. The place in his past that had scarred him so deeply. No, he wouldn’t think of the man who hurt him, or the woman that got off by watching. He’d run away so many times, only to be taken back.
There was never any true freedom during those years. This didn’t feel much different. If anything, he should be conditioned to dealing with crazy men, but he shuddered as the memory replayed in his head. It had been awhile since he’d gone down memory lane, and today was not that day. He didn’t like to think about his past, and the best thing for everyone was for him to forget it.
“Lookie what I brought,” Jaz said and came into view.
Max growled when he saw Dallas, and another woman that looked so much like her, it had to be her sister. How the hell did he manage to get them?
“Yeah, they were easy too, but at least Dallas put up more of a fight than you did. She’s stronger than you. Sadly.”
Max knew that Jaz enjoyed taunting him. He couldn’t let his words get to him. But now he was scared. Blane must be going insane with Dallas missing.
“How did he get you?”
Dallas looked up at him and shrugged the best she could being tied up. “I was stupid, but he’s got Tali. We have to get her out of here.”
“There’s no way out for me.”
She studied him as if she forgot Jaz hadn’t left.
“I think this should be fun, don’t you Maxie. Let’s get Dallas and Tali situated and you can watch me torture them?”
“Fuck you, asshole. Don’t touch them. Torture me.”
He looked at him as if he were thinking about it. “Nah, they’ll be more fun. They’ll scream louder.”
“No, I’ll scream. They are tougher than me. Remember I’m a wimp.”
“Pansy is the correct term, but yes, you are right. Maybe they can watch me kill you, and then I can have my way with the pretty little one.”
Dallas struggled at her binds knowing it was her sister he was talking about. Max hated this. How could he save them if he couldn’t save himself? What the hell kind of dragon was he?
The beast was no help either. Demon magic too strong to fight. When Jaz picked up Tali and left leaving Dallas in tears he knew he had to do something. There had to be a way to fight it.
“Dallas, scoot over to me.”
“I can’t,” she said and cried out. “I’m not much of anything.”
“Is that demon rope on you or just rope?”
“How am I supposed to know?” she asked.
“Can you reach your beast?”
She closed her eyes and a smile formed on her lips. “Yes, she’s not doing well though I don’t think. She’s sleeping.”
“Dammit. Must have the rope. You need to wake her and shift now before you can’t.”
“I don’t know how to.”
“She knows, just channel her and shift now. Before he comes back.”
Max smiled. “You can do it. You’re more dominant that me.”
Dallas smirked. “Says the guy with more muscle than he shows.”
“I’m really submissive, now please don’t tell anyone.”
He could see her shock. Like she couldn’t believe he was submissive.
“I won’t tell.”
It was nice to tell someone the truth. It was because of Jaz that he allowed himself to accept it. He would never be as strong as the others. Even Blane was fierce when provoked.
***
Dallas needed to move. The creep, had her sister, and who knew what he was doing with her. She listened to Max as he explained how to shift. It should break the ropes he said.
She closed her eyes and poked the dragon.
‘Need you to wake up’
The dragon ignored her
‘Our sister is getting hurt by a very bad man.’
This time the beast’s head rose lazily. ‘Can’t move.’
‘Yes, you can, fight it.’
Her beast listened. She rose on all fours. She was a bit unsteady but now they were getting somewhere.
‘Shift.’
The beast huffed. ‘You have to help.’
‘What do I do?’
‘Don’t fight, the first time is always the hardest. It might hurt.’
‘I don’t care just shift.’
Dallas sucked in a breath when the beast took her for her word. Pain laced her spine and her back bowed. She did her best not to scream, but then she heard a scream she recognized. Tears fell in puddles from her eyes. The pain from trying to shift and her sister’s scream.
“Max, help.”
“I don’t know how.”
“Shift and go get her. This isn’t working for me.”
“Okay I’ll try, but if you can’t I probably can’t either.”
She watched as he concentrated. He really was trying to reach his beast.
“I’m sorry I’m so useless.”
“Don’t. You are not useless. This is just a bad situation. I’ll try again.”
This time she used her protective nature.
‘SHIFT.’
Claws elongated and sharp teeth filled her mouth. Every inch of her body felt like it was being torn apart but she was shifting. It was slow and it hurt like nothing she’d ever felt before.
As soon as she stood on all fours and the dizziness faded she took one of her claws and swiped the rope around Max’s neck, then to his wrists, and last his ankle. She stared at him telling him to go get her sister. He didn’t move. She nudged him forward.
“I’m trying to move. Everything is asleep. I’m fighting it.”
Another scream echoed to them and Dallas cried out. She couldn’t wait on Max, but when she turned back—he was gone.
She tried to walk with her beast but ended up on her face. She huffed and stood back up. Come on beast, let’s do this.”
Each movement was slow and steady. If she had thought it would be easy a dragon, then she could think again. It was hard to go from a fairly average human to a giant 300 lb. dragon. She wasn’t used to being in such a big body, and a nonhuman one at that.
But before she got for the beast collapsed and Dallas shifted back. Her body ached from the shift and she couldn’t do anything other than close her eyes. Sleep was what she needed.